Florida TikToker baffled by reaction to reclining seat on overseas flight. Are there etiquette rules?

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·4 min read

The question that has divided us as a country and a people has once again reared its ugly head, putting brother against brother and parents against children: is it OK to recline your seat during an airplane?

Yes, Reclinegate has returned. Taylor Futch, 26, a solo travel influencer from Ocala, Florida, kicked it off with a cry for help on TikTok Friday.

"Y'all this girl just shoved my seat forward and said I'm not allowed to recline for my 10 hour flight because it's too much for her," she posted. "What do I do?"

Two million views later, the internet was divided.

"Y'all are insane... If I paid for a seat that reclines imma recline it!!!" said one commenter.

"No." said another, "the seats in economy are so tight and crammed. It’s rude to recline into someone else’s space. Sorry. Suck it up, or upgrade to business class/extra leg room if u want more comfortable flights."

And one person said flyers could do what they want, but know what they're doing. "also a tall girl I'm not going to stop you from reclining but just know I'm crying behind you the entire time because I can't move," she said.

The original post has over 6,000 comments as of Tuesday afternoon, and whatever side they're on they're all extremely passionate about it.

Futch posted the next day with more info. The people behind her were a couple and the woman's mother, she said, and when Futch reclined her seat the woman shoved it back.

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"Her mom said, 'oh, she's uncomfortable, it's too small for her,'" Futch said, "and I was like, it's a 10-hour flight, I want to get comfy, I'm exhausted." She said the flight attendant just told her to bring it back up for food service, "which I always do, to be respectful." For the duration of the flight home, Futch said she and the other woman engaged in an inch-by-inch power struggle over the seat.

"I told her, If you wanna be comfy get first class, but babe, like everyone's doing it, I'm gonna do it."

Frequent travelers — or former Twitter regulars — may remember the last time this flared up, i.e. ReclineGate. After a woman flying American Airlines in 2020 shared video of the man behind her who kept punching her seat, the online argument lasted for days with no clear winner.

So what is the proper etiquette here?

Should you recline your seat on an airplane?

"There's a growing consensus that leaning back is a no-no under almost all circumstances," said USA TODAY travel columnist Christopher Elliott last year. "We're simply out of room."

Airlines have dwindled the available space between seats again and again to fit more passengers and make more money. Before airline deregulation, many economy class seats had a generous 36 inches of "pitch," a rough measure of legroom. Today, some seats have as little as 28 inches, Elliott wrote, and airlines may even have taken the time during the pandemic to nudge seats a little closer together.

"Unless you were sitting in a seat with extra legroom, or in first class, it would be inconsiderate to recline your seat," said Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert who runs the Protocol School of Texas. "Space is tight, and it's common knowledge and no surprise that you will be sitting in tight quarters."

According to a 2023 poll by travel planning company Skyscanner, just under one-third of travelers don’t want you to recline your seat.

Can you ever recline your seat on an airplane?

If you're in first class, have extra legroom, or you have a medical condition that requires it, yes, etiquette experts say. And it's hard to argue against reclining on overnight flights.

However, communication helps. Talk to the person behind you and ask if they'd mind, or work out a compromise. If empty seats are available, ask the flight attendant if you can move and stretch out. And always avoid reclining when the person behind you is:

  • Eating

  • Working on a laptop on their tray or drinking a hot beverage

  • Holding a child or animal on their lap

  • A child

  • Very tall or large

  • On crutches or other medical aid device

And always look first. In 2022, a train passenger in China who reclined his seat without checking behind him was sued for $475 after he damaged the other passenger's laptop.

What do you think?

Is it OK to recline your seat? Should you avoid it? Let us know!

Can't see the poll? Click here to cast your vote.

USA TODAY travel columnist Christopher Elliott contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida TikTok influencer starts debate on airplane seat etiquette